The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1887-11-02

Next in this State as elsewhere
in the Union, the whole machinery
of the old parties will be brought to
bear to keep every man strictly
within party ranks; and there will
be little hope of accomplishing any
thing for the prohibition cause
through those parties. Candidates
for the Legislature will make
no pledges concerning their action
in the future lest it may affect the
result of the election for President.
I would like to ask those Demo-
cratic prohibitionists who are in
favor Of begging the legislative can
didates for a pledge, what they
would do if their party in it's State
platform should altogether ignore
the prohibition question, and in it's
national platform should insert the
old "sumptuary" plank !? And of Re-
publican prohibitionists will ask,
what will you do if your party de-
clare for Local Option in the coun-
try and High License in the cities :?
Will such action as this satisfy true
prohibitionists?
LOCAL OPTION-HIGH LICENSE.
No compromise on Local Option
and High License ought to be
thought Of for a moment. These
will be pressed, and it will be said
that they ar better than "free whis.
KY" and that they are the only
remedy (?) in sight. Far better let
matters stand as they are, than to
step back or down. to policies that
offer SO little hope for the ultimate
universal suppression Of the liquor
traffic. I stop not to present Oh.
jections to High License, farther
than to say, that it not only does
not accomplish what its advocates
claim, but does harden. and lull into
indifference the public conscience
by appealing to the spirit of avarice
in every heart 80 prevalent. All
workers for the Amendment know
that the alleged loss of revenue to
the State in the event of its adop.
ton was the hardest objection to
overcome in the recent contest. To
increase the revenue from the traf-
fic strenthens just 50 much the OBJ
lection mentioned, and makes more
difficult the work before US.
l am not for Local Option. I dc
not mean l would not vote for it II
the matter was up; but in my
judgment; the cause of prohibi.
tion will be weakened and postpon.
ed by a Local Option law. And
beside, its benefits could not be had
by the very places where it would
be most needed. Again, such q Law
would be contested, and, If the
opinion of able lawyers can be re
lied upon, would te found unconsti
: tutional. If the friends Of prohibi
} ton are not ready to take the sug
} gestion presently made, they mus
receive the crumbs which the politi
! cal bosses may throw them from
3 time to time.
8. STATUTORY PROHIBITION.
i. 1t is conceded that the Legislature
y may extend the four-mile law, o
r refuse grant of licenses, and so Civ
US prohibition by Statute. I shoul'
favor this. But who is to promis
e this? What party will declare 70
,. it? How is it to be had? fprc
r hibitionists say they will be satisf
i ed with nothing less, then whs
n course shall they pursue in order t
4 obtain it? If they determine
Y vote only for legislative candidate
g who will pledge themselves to SUI
o port such a law, this would of cours
1 bring against them the liquor pow
y er. There can be no possibl
- chance next year of getting sue
pledges from any considerabl
number of candidates. This wi
= be very different matter frol
that of obtaining pledges to vol
" for submission as we did last yea
- And, further, are men to shut the
: eyes to the fact that this prohib
u tion question is certain again to
- involved in the national contest
= Shall the Republican prohibitiOni
- be asked to vote for a Democrat
Il candidate for legislature (becau.
'e the latter is for statutory prohit
!" tion and the Republican candids
v not,) and be expected to do so; ar
g yet, in the national contest
- advised to 60 along with his par,
% no matter what its position on Il
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